“We do seriously wish Kevin the best,” Ekstrom said, but “he is no longer working for the district.”

Palmer cited a number of issues in his leaving, from paycheck disputes to communication.

Ekstrom acknowledged there are sometimes salary issues when people start partway through the school year, referring to the per diem system as opposed to a yearly pay amount. But ultimately, she said, “We always feel bad when we don’t have somebody working for us” who had been part of the staff. She declined to discuss any other issues.

Palmer, who lives an hour away from the school, said he had to leave sometimes right after school for his other jobs, which included working as a residential counselor for the Department of Youth Services in a Secure Resident Treatment facility in Springfield, and high school sports referee in the Western Mass. Football Officials Association.

He said he is also a licensed personal trainer and has a fitness business, called RoccFitt Inc., a mobile training business, in which he travels to the clients, holding classes at high school gyms, tracks, and parks.

“I mostly get high school students looking to build strength and condition for college,” he said of his clients.

“My driving two hours every day was a sacrifice,” Palmer said of his daily commute to Tahanto.

“If I sued the district, I know I would clearly win,” Palmer said of his leaving, but added, “I’m not that kind of person.”

He said, “I did things above and beyond,” but, “it got to the point, the climate for working was not good.”

He said the assistant principal position, for which he was hired, was different than the previous dean of students’ position. The district had changed the classification and title to reflect new state guidelines when it filled the position, which had been vacant for a year because of budget cuts.

“I pretty much knew I was going to leave,” Palmer said, adding he initially wanted to wait until after the winter break. “I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

Although he was not dismissed, he said “it was coming down to that,” which prompted him to leave.

“They were not supporting me,” he said, even after he had talked in his interview about what was important to him, including the fight against childhood obesity.

“It is a higher calling for me,” he said, and conflicts resulted when he was not able to attend a health and fitness summit he felt was crucial. “They weren’t supporting me professionally or personally.”

Palmer said he gave up other opportunities to come to Tahanto because it was a Level 1 school and could be “a good stepping stone.”

He said he is now seeking to be a superintendent or assistant superintendent, looking at districts in Boston or closer to his home in western Massachusetts, and is finishing up his doctorate. He said he has completed two years toward his doctorate in education, with a thesis on “The Effects of Childhood Obesity on Education.”

He said he also has a master’s degree in criminal justice and a certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational administration.